The Official Unofficial FAQ/Bible
The Official Unofficial RPG Maker VX FAQ/Bible Category:FAQ Category:Tutorials Purpose : The goal is to inform you, the creator of games, how others have run into problems with RPG Maker VX. In other words, the answers to common questions that plague our Support/Help forum will now be presented to you (sadly, we can't provide Dolby Surround). : In addition, keep in mind that game design is a complicated and individual process. The solutions presented here are not the only ones possible. Also! Maybe more detailed explanations for "basic" things like switches, conditional branches, self-switches, events, event pages, event graphics, event commands, maps, spriting, mapmaking, story, ... wow. That comes later. Getting Started HAI! LYK HOW D0 I G3T VX 4 FR33? : Everybody says: You can't! If you can't pay the $60 for it, you can't use it. To purchase a RPG Maker VX license and download it, check out http://tkool.jp/products/rpgvx/eng/. When I opened up the program and started to run, it says that it failed to get trial serial number from the nTitle servers. What should I do? : Alibi says: Try disabling your firewall before opening RMVX. : SilentBackstabber says: MAKE SURE YOU'RE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET FIRST!!! *end loudy mic* What is the RTP? : scherzo says: The RTP, or Run-time Package, is a collection of common resources that Enterbrain releases with its RPG Makers to allow creators to jump right into their games. The VX RTP "contains common graphics, music (MIDI, etc.) and DLL files used when creating a game" http://tkool.jp/products/rpgvx/eng/download.html. Note that while its installation is necessary, you do not have to use it in your games. : After you install it, anything you add into the RTP folders will be considered part of the RTP. Read about how VX resources work to understand more. What are the minimum requirements? *These specifications may not be sufficient to play some games comfortably. *Display and available hard-disk space are required to use RPG Maker VX. : Thanks to the RPG MAKER VX Help File for this one How do I share my game? : VX Help File says: To distribute completed game data online, select File, then Game Data from the main menu. The data will be compressed into a self-extracting file and saved into the folder you specify. Use this file to start distributing your game. :Users who don't have a copy of RPGVX will need to install RTP separately, so make sure you make this clear when distributing your game. Users can download RTP from the following location: rpgmaker-vx.com : If you want to make it so that users do not have to download RTP, turn on the RTP Data option and compress it. Doing this will make it unnecessary to include instructions such as those indicated above, but will make the size of the data much larger. : Also, if you don't want anyone else to be able to use RPG Maker VX to view your game's contents, you can specify that an encrypted archive be created when compressing the game data. : Instead of RPGVX's Game Data function, you can use a separate data compression program to compress your game folder. If you do, be sure not to include the playtesting save data. : scherzo adds: So, if you read the Help File, basically it depends on whether or not whoever you're sharing your game with has installed the RTP. All you need to do is File>Compress Game Data, and then choose the options whether to encrypt or not and include your RTP or not, then it will make a circular-blue icon (a .exe file) in that folder you specified. That file is all you need to share. : I'll also add that Compress Game Data only wraps up your project folder and compresses it. RPGVX won't include shared RTP materials unless you tell it to include the RTP. Current Updates And Fixes Something is wrong with my variables. They don't work right. How do I fix this? : scherzo says: Assuming you know what you are doing with variables, there may be a bug with your Game_Interpreter script. Use ERZENGEL's updated Game_Interpreter script found here for now - Game_Interpreter in text file How can I permanently make this change? : You do not make a change to the software directly. You must make this change in a game you create first. :: 1.) Go grab the Game_Interpreter script in text file :: 2.) Create a new game. Go into the script edito (on the toolbar, it looks like a pencil and paper). On the left-hand side you will see Game_Interpreter in the list of scripts. Click it to bring it up. :: 3.) In another window, open the file you downloaded. Choose Edit > Select all and Edit > Copy to select the whole 1660 lines in notepad. Then select the 1660 lines of text the script editor (CTRL+A works well). Then paste. Save your game. :: 4.) Open the folder with the project (one you just created and added a script into), and find this: Scripts.rvdata in the Data folder :: 5.) Copy Scripts.rvdata :: 6.) Go to the RPGVX\Systems\Data :: 7.) Paste Scripts.rvdata in here. It'll ask you if it should be overwritten. Say yes. : You have now made permanent changes to your Scripts.rvdata file, meaning you will not need to add the fixed Game_Interpreter script to any new projects you create. : Thanks to Aindra, RPGIdealist, and BigEd781 Differences from RPG MAKER XP Can I convert my XP project to VX? : Enterbrain says: VX is incompatible with XP http://tkool.jp/products/rpgvx/eng/faq.html. I just can't find where you set directional passability. But surely they wouldn't give that the axe? : scherzo says: Directional passability is gone, indeed. Directional passability was present in XP, but in VX, it is either passable or not passable. Is the screen resolution the same? : Enterbrain says: VX has a screen resolution of 544x416 versus the resolution of XP (640x480). Instead, VX is in 32bit color, with 60 frames per second, at 544x416. Can I import tilesets? : Enterbrain says: Yes. TileE is set up for your custom use. However, you are limited to using only 5, by default. This does not mean there are only 5 images that comprise 5 tilesets. See here and here for more information. Mapping General Explanation : scherzo says he doesn't want to do all the work and leaves this empty for now Is there a map limit? : woratana says: Actually, the map limit is 999 maps. How do I change the default music for a map? : BigEd781 says: Right click the map and select "Properties". You can change the BGM in there. There is also an event command Play BGM. What does the star mean in the passability options? : Astel says: The star means that the tile will show above the character. How do I view panorama/backgrounds without playtesting? : scherzo says: You are able to view panoramas/Backgrounds in the Map Editor by right-clicking on the Map name in the left pane and going to Map Properties (Space). In this properties box, on the right side, you will see, under the header 'Parallax Background', a box that reads 'Show in the Editor'. Put a check next to it. Then hit 'Ok'. Events General Explanation : RPGIdealist says: An event is a set of instructions linked to a specific location on a game map. Basically, events provide the connection between the actions of game players and the game itself. Unlike the mapped features (tiles), which are always present, events can cause objects (like treasure chests) and characters to appear at specific times and under specific conditions. Events control many features, such as doors opening, and moving a player to a new location. : VX Help File adds: Every "happening" in the game, from villagers who give you information to item-filled treasure chests, is called an event. : Since the direction of the game is controlled entirely by events, even something like the player exiting a town onto a field map must be configured as an event. How do I place events on maps? : VX Help File says: This is done by Map Events. These are events that take place on the map screen, used for movement, conversations, etc. Select Mode, then Event from the main menu, then double-click on a map to create a map event. Placing a large number of map events can put a strain on the CPU--a safe amount would be 100 or fewer events per map. What are Event Pages? : A single event on your map can include several different sets of event information.These are called pages. A single event can have multiple event pages, which work together to control the features of your game. These event pages are turned on and off based on the conditions chosen for each event page. The conditions are checked from back to front. The events at the back have the highest event number, so event conditions are checked from highest event page number to lowest. (In other words, the first page is the last to be checked for conditions and activated.) Can I use events in battle? : VX Help File says: Yes. Battle Events are events that take place on the battle screen. For example, you can use a battle event to make an enemy transform when its HP drops below a certain level. These events are accessed via Troops in the database. What is a common event? : VX Help File says: These generic events are called from map events and battle events, can be configured to handle the use of special items, and so on. They are accessed via Events in the database. Text Why is my text missing at the end of a text box? : ERZENGEL says: You should see two arrows on the top of the text entry box, the first is the limit for if you have a face set and the second is limit if you don't have a face set. : Aerendyll adds: Are you using a custom font/a larger text size? If so, the arrows won't do you any good. You will need to experiment for yourself. : If not, you probably have typed past the arrow without knowing. If any word is one pixel past the arrow it'll already look weird. Try to put words that are cut off on a new line. How do I display a variable inside a text message? : Kav says: Try putting \Vnumber that contains the amount of gold in the message box. The [ and ] ARE part of the text you input, so for example: \V1 would display variable 1. Note: "You have \v2 gold in your stash" : BigEd781 says: \Vindex) : for example, this would show "100" in a messagebox : @>Control Variables: 0001 = 100 : @>Show Text:: :\v1 So, what are the normal text commands? \| shows the following text after a break of 1.00 seconds :Thanks to '''Kav', Rabu, and the RPG Maker VX Help File for this one'' Controlling the Flow of Events How do I delete an event off the map so it doesn't return when I return? : Harmill says: You use a switch. Either a Self Switch or a normal switch. When you want a certain person/object to disappear, make a switch, and then on the second page of the person/object's event, put that same switch as the Condition. The second page of the disappearing person should have it's graphic set to 'None'. Using Event Commands What are the Quick Events? : Harmill says: These are four types of events that Enterbrain decided were used so often they would just turn them into "Quick Events". The four Quick Events are: Teleport, Door, Treasure Chest, and Inn. You create them by either right clicking a tile event editor mode and going down to 'Quick Event Creation' and clicking on whatever event you want or you can do the shortcut and press Ctrl+#. How do I have my character change their name? : Alibi sez: Just set up an event and on the 3rd tab click "Input Name Proccessing." Then whenever you want someone to say the name, type \n# (# being the character number) into the text box. Ex: "Welcome to the inn, \n1." would translate into "Welcome to the inn, (1st character's name here)". : BlueLord advises: If you make that character leave the party and later come back, make sure you uncheck the little box in the lower left corner of the "Change Members" window that says "initialize", otherwise, the character's name will return to what was set in the database. How do I make a teleport event? : Harmill says: Make sure you are currently on Event mode in the map editor, and right click wherever you want the teleport to occur. You will notice a small window with some options comes up. Look for 'Quick Event Creation' and go over to 'Transfer'. Take note the 'Ctrl+1' command to the right. : The box labeled 'Destination' is where you choose where you get teleported to. The box labeled 'Direction' allows you to pick which way you will be facing after the teleport. : Now, the Ctrl+1 provides an even faster way to make these teleport events. Instead of right clicking on the tile, you just press Ctrl+1. Try it out for yourself. How do I make NPCs? : Alibi sez: NPCs like most of the "objects" and processes in RMVX/XP are made with events. The really simple answer would be to make an event, assign a graphic - whichever specific character set you want that graphic to use, and add a "Show Text" command under the List of Event Commands. That would be your all purpose "Howdy! I'm an NPC" sort of event/NPC. (Oh- if that's not enough information, I can elaborate tomorrow morning, when Mr. Sandman isn't on my back.) : But understand, it doesn't have to be that simple. : scherzo says: That's right Alibi, it doesn't. If you can make NPCs more lively by changing their Autonomous Movement to different settings. For instance, if you wanted an NPC to appear to be cooking in front of a few stoves and such, you could set Type to Custom, then change the Move Route, right below it. This dialog box is the same as "Set Move Route", so you can tell the NPC to wait 60 frames, then move right, turn up - wait longer (two 120 frame waits maybe), and then move left, turn up, wait again. In this sense, the NPC will seem to be standing at the stove, doing something, then moving again to another spot, like he were cooking. Be sure to click the Repeat Action box to enable your commands to loop. : Setting up self-switches and conditions for event pages of an NPC can go a long way, too. To clarify - an early-game town NPC can react to later story-related things that happen by having a page dedicated to it. For instance, if an event page had as a condition a switch "DarkGraveBoss_Defeated", you could add text to the NPC that would give comments on it ("I see you defeated that graveyard monster. Good riddance"). This makes your game a lot more dynamic. You can really get creative with these sort of things. How do I make a shop? : Anaxim says: Make a new event, click on the event part of it. Third Page is Shop Processing. Open that and double click the top of the list and add an item. Continue to add items to the available blank spaces and there you have it. : scherzo adds: If you double-click an event (white-outlined box) or right-click and select New Event... on the map editor, you'll get to the Event box. You can create new event commands by double-clicking in the white space or by right-clicking and selecting Insert. Either way, the Event Commands dialog box will let you create a shop, and it's just as Anaxim said, on the third tab, you'll find Shop Processing under the header Scene Control. After you click on Shop Processing, you can press Enter or double-click on the first blank spot in the list to add items (or weapon/armor) to sell. : Of course, you will also need to set the character's event graphic, if you are setting up a shopkeeper and what they will say when you first talk to them. How do I make characters appear to be walking out of my party leader?http://www.rpgmakervx.net/?showtopic=2639 : Astel says: Let's say that you have a party of four characters. In the map in which the cutscene happens, you make three events (in the example let's call them mage, cleric, and thief). Just make the event with the name, but don't give them any graphic or any command, just an empty event. With this you can call those events to the place that you want, change the graphic with the one for the party member and move them for the cutscene. : Have the characters that you want as blank events, then set two variables with the coordinates of the player (Control Variables -> Character -> Player -> Map X/Map Y). Then use the command "Set Event Location" with the option "Designation with Variables", using the variables that you set before, that will teleport the event to your location. Then you can change the blank event to the character graphic that you want, and then move the event out. Repeat with the other characters. Using Events to Enhance Maps How do I place an item on a table? : Harmill says: Use events to place objects on tables, counters, etc. Make an event on the table and simply choose the graphic from either '!Other3' or Tileset-C. : scherzo adds: The B and C tab in the main editor can place items on anything belonging to A. By "place", I mean, add to the existing tile. So, you can put a bottle of wine (from C) on to a bar counter (the table autotiles in Tileset A-tab). Database General Explanation Again, reserved for excellent explanation (touching on mostly what the database does, how it can be used, the various functions of the tabs in it, and why it matters) How do I change my starting party? : Harmill says: To change which party members you start the game with, enter the Database, and go to the 'System' tab. It's the second to last tab in between 'Common Events' and 'Terms'. Once in the System tab, look at the top left for Initial Party. Edit the actors in that field as you see fit. How do I change what my main character looks like? : SaxMeister13 says: Go to the Database (hit F9) and in the first tab, Actor, almost smack dab in the middle of the screen, you'll see a box labeled "Character Graphic". Double-click it and you can change the graphic to any other character set resource available. How do I change the BGM in the Title Screen? : scherzo says: Go to Tools>Database (F9), then to the System tab. Under the header 'Music', it will say Title Screen. Expand the menu and change to the desired music resource. Customizing Your Game How do I change the title screen? : Harmill says: Place the graphic in your System folder for your game and make sure it is named Title.png. You can also import it under 'System'. Voila, your title screen has been changed. How can you replace sprites/tile artwork/etc with your own? If so, what format, is this done in sheets or individual tiles, and what formats get put back into RPGMaker for use? : GreenEquinox says: The majority of the image files need to be in the .png format, and work best with a transparent background. It's easy enough to figure out what goes where if you look at the RTP; but if you need templates, you can find them in this thread http://www.rpgmakervx.net/RMVX-resources-templates-t158.html and http://www.rpgmakervx.net/index.php?showtopic=502. Using the templates in conjunction with the default graphics to understand how things align is a best practice while you're still learning. How do I import new graphics? : GreenEquinox says: To get them into the application, simply open the Resource Manager and select your category of choice, then click 'Import'. Why won't this face work when I import it? : BlueLord says: RMVX uses 1/8 of the faceset file, which means that if you want to make a faceset you have to make sure that it has 8 faces in it. Otherwise it'll use 1/8 of the face. : scherzo adds: Yep, my buddy BlueLord is 100% right. You must import facesets, by default, in a field of 8 (eight). So, the file will need to be 384x192. There are face set templates out there, as well. If you want to know more about how the materials and resources are set up, check this link: material explanation and rules on size, formats, etc. What are the rules aand sizes to the types of graphics? : Enterbrain says: Read this page thoroughly for information on the size of character sets (variable width and length), face sets (permanently set in field of 8), tilesets, animation graphics, windowskins, and more. Each of these has rules that, if you are planning to change or create new graphics, will need to be learned. As GreenEquinox said, it's a good practice to use templates as well when still learning. How do I make sprites? : scherzo says: Pixel art is an acquired skill, but you can try it for yourself by using an image editor like MSPaint, Graphics Gale, The GIMP, or even Adobe Photoshop. Additionally, there are several characterset generators that make it very easy to create sprites. How do I make fancy titles? : scherzo says: A lot of fancy things are made using Photoshop and custom brushes, with highly stylized fonts that can be found online. If you want your own artwork, you will have to make it or get someone else to make it for you. Switches and Variables What is a switch? : VX Help File says: Data stored as either ON or OFF throughout the game. For example, controls information such as whether a player has received an order to defeat a monster or whether a boss has been defeated. What is a variable? : VX Help File says: Data stored as any integer (maximum 8 numbers long) throughout the game. For example, controls information such as the hero's reputation level or the number of items a player has gathered from around the world and given to a particular person. What does a variable do? I've heard it's like a switch, except it's a number, but there's gotta be a catch to it. I've never actually used it though, but I would like to know for future reference what they are and what they do. : SilentBackstabber says: Let's say you have to kill 3 monster before an event is triggered, how will you do this? Simple! USE VARIABLE! Each time a monster is defeated, you just increase a variable by 1(let's use variable 0001). When you hit 3 then an event with condition Variable 0001 is 3 or above will be triggered! Or you might use it in conditional branch to trigger new event. : hyperlisk says: Switches: Think of it as a light switch. There's an ON and OFF state. Variables: These are numbers. You can store any number you need to here. : Alibi says: Think of variables as switches.. except better, cooler, and more trendy with the kids. You wanna be cool right?! *peer pressure* : "Tally" : - Think of the scene in Final Fantasy 6, where you have to convince Imperial soldiers to lighten up to the rebel cause.. or whatever the situation was... Each time you talk to a soldier (or have to beat his skull in), it would increase the variable which we would probably label something suitable like "Soldiers Done". So each time you talk to a soldier, you can add 1 (or more depending on the situation I guess) to the "Soldiers Done" variable. : - You can later use that variable with conditional statements in an event or by using multiple pages that would be activated by the Variable condition. (Both are essentially the same process, you just have to be concerned by the page order if done the second way mentioned). So you can have Emperor Gesthalt dance if you've met with more than 20 soldiers, or laugh at you otherwise. Of course, you can get as in-depth as having different possibilities for every separate integer, or you can simply have him say "You have talked to \v# of my soldiers." #= the variable location or whatever. But yeah, that's just one overly expanded example of using it as a "tally". : "Friendship/Influence/Love/What-ever Meter : - Likewise, you can use a variable to store information that's meant to be shifting positively and negatively... like how friendly the hero and his childhood friend are. So if you have some dialogue in your game where the friend says "Man, You are so cool!", and give the player a choice like "Thanks, you are too!" or "I'm too cool to hang out with you!".. you can have the choices deal with a variable which represents their friendship... making the first choice increase that variable, and the second choice decrease it. Scripts How do I add new scripts? : Mr. Anonymous says: A couple things to note: 1: Every custom script will go above Main. 2: You name the script in the name box. The name has no relevance in how the script works. But it's generally good practice to name it something you remember. (Edit: Mr. A, come back and finish your "How to add Scripts" tutorial :<) How do I change my battle background? : Harmill says: The only way to get some actual battle backgrounds is with a script. Audio Problems When I import MP3s, no music plays. The midis and any other file from the RTP work fine. Is there some sort of extra codec I need to download to get this to work? : haohmaruxi says: It seems RMVX is really picky on the bitrate of MP3s. So far I've seen 128 and 160 bit-rate MP3s that work for sure, but 320s will not. : zbdarkflame says: Another thing that I've noticed about playing an MP3 file in VX is that the file does not loop back properly. It will finish the song, skip about a second, and start back up. Hence I use OGG files instead of the MP3 format in my games now. Also, OGG files are slightly smaller. Basically, MP3s and VX just don't mix happily. I'm having trouble securely compressing MP3 and WMA. What can I do? : zbdarkflame says: If you use the OGG file format, it works! Miscellaneous Questions How do I take screenshots of my project? : Jasonicus says: While in game, press Alt+Print Screen. Then open Paint and paste it in. You will then need to upload the pics to a site like Photobucket or ImageShack and grab the link from it. You can then take that link and place it a thread in the forums. How do I fix this problem when my character heads to one direction in the game? : scherzo says: First, be sure you don't have any events set to Autorun going screwy. Then, check your gamepads/joysticks. If one of them is acting funny or plugged in and facing an odd direction, you should unplug them. Otherwise, restart your computer and try again. I can't find the "play movie" option. How do you play movies/videos? : BlueLord says: Copy the movie/video you want to play in your game and paste it in Audio/BGM. After that, just have it play as if it were a song and the movie/video will be played in a new window. And before you ask: No, no one knows how to make it play in the same window. : scherzo advises: To be sure, RPG Maker VX does not support movies or flash animationshttp://tkool.jp/products/rpgvx/eng/faq.html. I can't seem to see the 'OK' 'APPLY' 'CANCEL' buttons at the bottom of the RPG Maker VX gui? I run in 1024x 768 and DON'T want to change my screen resolution. Any way to resize the gui windows? : Rabu says: Download this Font - MS Gothic Font-Pack. And install this Font into your Windows-Font-Directory. Just click "Start" and "Run", type in "Fonts" and copy that downloaded Font into your opened Font-Directory. Restart the Computer, so that the Font will become become active. But no guarantee. : ElementalCrisis says: Installing East Asian language pack is what you need to do. : scherzo is wondering whether this applies only to old Japanese trial.''